“A short documentary goes behind the scenes at the New York City Ballet, where Marc Happel, the director of costumes, creates a new, Swarovski-encrusted look for the company’s signature ballet.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Beefing Up The Best-Friend Role In Chick Flicks
“In the past decade, female friends in romantic comedies have been taking on increasingly prominent roles, reflecting the fact that many women are delaying marriage until later in life. In these films, ‘female friendship supersedes heterosexual romance,’ says [media scholar] Leger Grindon.”
Nico Muhly On Writing An Opera About Mormon Sister-Wives
“It was hard to write. It’s important not to have a mockery of their faith. … [In 2008] the polygamist women were saying on The Larry King Show, ‘Isn’t this America? Don’t we have religious freedom? We’re not bothering anybody. What’s the problem?’ It was important for this to not become a political tract.”
Jason Alexander Gives The Best Apology For An Anti-Gay Remark Ever
Last week, as a guest on Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show, the comedian/actor (Seinfeld) went on an extended riff about how cricket is a “gay” sport (as opposed to “manly” Australian rules football). When several of Alexander’s Twitter followers objected, Alexander thought hard about what he’d said and ultimately issued an unusually eloquent and sincere statement.
Kafka’s Final Absurdity: How His Papers Ended Up Being Hoarded By An Israeli Cat Lady
“For the past 40 years, the women of the Hoffe family have held an assortment of Kafka’s primary drafts, letters, drawings and, possibly, unpublished manuscripts.” (Esther Hoffe was the mistress of Kafka’s agent, Max Brod.) “[The] women have guarded [the papers] closely, and to this day no one is sure exactly what they contain.”
Forget The Mariinsky’s Boris Godunov – Here’s Some Real Subversive Russian Theater
“In the ruckus surrounding the Mariinsky production of Boris Godunov, Russians seem to have forgotten that the subject of protest has been taken on by some of the most prominent Moscow theatres for years. Many provocative productions have been staged by a young, punkish director named Kirill Serebrennikov.”
Restitution In Reverse: Court Orders Nazi Victim’s Family To Return Artifact To German Museum
“[In] this case, according to court papers, the precious 3,200-year-old Assyrian artifact” – a small gold tablet with an inscription – “had been looted, not from the survivor, but from the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin, at the close of World War II.”
What London Protests Against Israeli Theatre Company Looked Like To Protestees
While the actual performances of The Merchant of Venice by Habima at the Globe to Globe festival suffered only quick, minor disruptions, the controversy and calls for a boycott beforehand were loud and vehement. Members of the Habima company give their side of the story.
UK Government Backs Off Plan To Cap Tax Deductions For Charitable Gifts
“The government has dropped plans to impose a cap on tax relief on philanthropic donations, which arts organisations had warned could lead to them missing out on tens of millions of pounds of private support.”
ABT Considers Moving Into NY City Ballet’s Theater (Part-Time)
“American Ballet Theater tours and performs at New York City Center in the fall. A major part of its season takes place in June and early July at the Metropolitan Opera House across the Lincoln Center Plaza from the Koch Theater, where City Ballet performs at roughly the same time.”